UPFRONT

BLOOMINGTON, IL—Tom Mercier, president and CEO of BOPI, and Michael Dolan, president and CEO of Illinois Graphics, have agreed to merge their two companies. The deal was expected to be completed by the first of this month. The resulting enterprise will be known as BOPI and operate out of BOPI’s existing facility. Terms of the merger were not disclosed.

Donnelley Nets Penguin Pact

CHICAGO—RR Donnelley announced an agreement with Penguin Group (USA) to provide the majority of its digital printing and binding requirements. Donnelley will produce Penguin Group (USA)’s digitally printed adult and young readers’ trade hardcover, trade paperback, mass-market paperback books, bound galleys and advanced copies.

Graphic Center Goes Under

SACRAMENTO, CA—Graphic Center, whose clients at one time included corporate, retail, automotive and financial heavyweights but fell victim to the economy and closed down, recently had its equipment auctioned, according to The Sacramento Bee. The company was founded in 1956 and, at its height, employed nearly 200 workers.

Worldcolor Opts for Prosper

DUBUQUE, IA—Montreal-based Worldcolor has placed an order for a Kodak Prosper 5000XL inkjet press with an integrated Muller Martini SigmaLine in-line finishing system for its operations here. The machine will be installed sometime during the second half of 2010. The Prosper 5000XL will augment the printer’s position in short-run color and black-and-white books, as well as versioned and variable data magazines, catalogs and high-end direct mail.

IWCO Sells Texas Facility

CHANHASSEN, MN—IWCO Direct, a privately held national provider of direct marketing solutions, has signed a letter of intent to sell its Fort Worth, TX, operations to Business Ink, of Austin, TX. IWCO Direct’s Fort Worth facility was part of its acquisition in April of Transcontinental Direct’s U.S. operations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.